“Liberate yourself from the need to be right.”
-Seth Godin, in “Unleashing the Ideavirus”
Photo from Flickr by Jamison Wieser
Have you ever been in a prison? I hope not. Freedom, and the desire for it, is a fundamental value shared by people throughout the world. Unfortunately, many of us are trapped to some degree in self-generated prisons.
In today’s quote, Seth Godin says the need to be right, and thus making others wrong, imprisons us in a world of judgement and dysfunctional relationships at work, at home, and within our communities. You’ve probably heard the phrases, “Dead Right,” or “Dead Wrong” applied to people in your world. Just watch the evening news to see how this thinking has generated some of the domestic and global issues facing us today.
What I observe personally and professionally is that these behaviors exact a very high price in our relationships and our organizations.
EXERCISE:
Consider the following questions as you go through your day, with the intent of liberating yourself from the insatiable need to be “right”:
- What is my inner voice saying about the situation I’m facing?
- Are my thoughts supportive or critical?
- How open and receptive am I to what others are saying?
- What value or goodness can I find in their words?
By diligently applying this exercise, and agreeing to bring these practices to others in your world, you can virtually guarantee yourself a new level of life satisfaction.